Method and system for managing research and development in an enterprise

ABSTRACT

A method and system for capturing research decision flow in a Research and Development (R&amp;D) activity are provided. The method includes defining an objective of the R&amp;D activity and determining one or more requirements for fulfilling the objective of the R&amp;D activity. Further, the method includes identifying a set of risks associated with failure to satisfy the one or more requirements. Furthermore, the method also includes defining a set of tests to verify that the requirements are satisfied or the risks have been mitigated. Furthermore, the method also includes developing a task plan to satisfy the one or more requirements and mitigate one or more risks of the set of risks. Furthermore, the method also includes linking the objective, the one or more requirements, the set of risks and the task plan, to generate a linked information record.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of Non-Provisional application Ser.No. 14/086,514 titled “Method and System for Research and DevelopmentManagement in an Enterprise” filed on Nov. 21, 2013, which was acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Non-Provisional patent application Ser. No.12/283,121 titled “Method and System for Research and DevelopmentManagement in an Enterprise” filed on Sep. 9, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates generally to the field of Research and Development(R&D) management in an enterprise. More specifically, the inventionrelates to a method and system for managing R&D activities in anenterprise through exhaustive knowledge capture and sharing acrossdivisions.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

With the world economy getting increasingly globalized, competition inmarkets is growing at a tremendous rate. To survive in such anenvironment, organizations need to evolve continuously. One of the waysfor organizations to evolve is through Research & Development (R&D). R&Dof new technologies and products is one of the most critical successfactors in modern business. R&D helps organizations compete better bylowering costs of existing products, developing new and improvedproducts or wholly revolutionizing a product category. Given theimportance of R&D, the need to ensure that the R&D effort delivers ontime becomes very critical. Hence, the organizations engaged in R&D mustdevise ways and means to organize and manage R&D activities.

What makes management of R&D challenging are its distinctivecharacteristics. R&D differs from other activities as it is basedprimarily on knowledge and understanding. Since different divisions ofan enterprise are involved in R&D, effective transfer of knowledge isrequired between them. This transfer of knowledge requires a process tocapture the knowledge in the first place. This capture of knowledge ishindered due to the lack of a common language across divisions thatparticipate in R&D. Since every division talks in a different jargon, noeffective means exist for transferring knowledge and understandingbetween divisions. Currently, most knowledge capture and transfer in R&Dis ad-hoc through extensive documentation. However, it is very difficultto understand the context and rationale behind an R&D activity fromthese large documents. Also, often during the course of a project, someteam members leave and new people join. The existing systems are unableto provide an effective way of transferring knowledge to the new people.Hence, this phenomenon often results in redundant effort and delay inthe schedule.

Another factor that makes management of R&D challenging is the lack ofvisibility into the progress and needs of various projects. Many R&Dprojects are large efforts—taking multiple years and involving a largenumber of engineers. Such R&D projects are sub-divided into subprojects,each delivering a component of the overall product under development. Itis even harder to get visibility into progress and needs of such largeprojects. A key reason for this is that the R&D management tools aredisparate and fragmented across divisions. This fragmented informationgives an incomplete and inaccurate picture of the progress. Further,even when links exist between such fragmented tools, it is verydifficult to aggregate or segregate information for management purposes.Specifically, the tools to manage investments across diverse projectsand technologies are undeveloped and require extensive manual labor.Further, metrics do not exist to aggregate R&D activity information toallow management to identify trends and measure performance. Very fewmetrics exist to analyze investment needs and determine investmentsacross diverse R&D projects. This results in a lot of decisions, such asR&D planning and investment decisions, to be based on impreciseinformation or what is called “gut feelings.” This can often result inunnecessary delays in a project. In a typical organization engaged inR&D, the R&D division works on a multitude of projects simultaneously. Adelay in one project has significant impact on the other projects and onthe overall R&D schedule. Similarly, R&D project execution is normallydistributed across multiple organizations and metrics do not exist toaggregate information and enable managers to make decisions.

In light of the above, there exists a need for an efficient R&Dmanagement system. The system should be capable of capturing knowledgeacross divisions by overcoming the different jargons. Further, thesystem should span across the divisions in an enterprise to enableeffective sharing of information providing better visibility into thewhole R&D process.

SUMMARY

An embodiment of the invention provides a method for capturing researchdecision flow in a Research and Development (R&D) activity. The methodincludes defining an objective of the R&D activity and determining oneor more requirements for fulfilling the objective of the R&D activity.Further, the method includes identifying a set of risks associated withfailure to satisfy the one or more requirements. Further, the methodincludes determining a set of test to verify that requirements aresatisfied or risks are mitigated. Further, the method also includesdeveloping a task plan to satisfy the one or more requirements andmitigate one or more risks of the set of risks or conduct the one ormore tests. Furthermore, the method also includes linking the objective,the one or more requirements, the set of risks, the set of tests and thetask plan to generate a linked information record.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a method for managingResearch and Development (R&D) activities in an enterprise. Theenterprise includes one or more sub-divisions and the one or moresub-divisions include one or more members. The method includes capturingresearch decision flow in the R&D activities. Capturing researchdecision flow includes inputting an objective of each R&D activity ofthe R&D activities. Further, capturing research decision flow includesinputting one or more requirements. The one or more requirements aredetermined for fulfilling the objective of each R&D activity.Furthermore, capturing research decision flow includes inputting a setof risks. The set of risks are based on failure to satisfy the one ormore requirements. Furthermore, capturing research decision flowincludes inputting a set of tests. The set of tests to verify thatrequirements are satisfied or risks are mitigated. Moreover, capturingresearch decision flow includes inputting a task plan. The task plan isdeveloped to satisfy the one or more requirements, mitigate one or morerisks of the set of risks or conduct one or more tests of the set oftests. The method further includes capturing a set of task informationassociated with one or more tasks performed by the one or more members.The one or more tasks are related to the R&D activities. Furthermore,the method includes linking the inputted objective, the one or morerequirements, the set of risks, the set of tests and the task plan andthe set of task information, related to each R&D activity to generate alinked information database in a linked information module for the R&Dactivities. Moreover, the method includes providing access to the linkedinformation module by the one or more members.

Yet another embodiment of the invention provides a system for managingResearch and Development (R&D) activities in an enterprise. Theenterprise includes one or more sub-divisions and the one or moresub-divisions include one or more members. The system includes aknowledge capture module, a linked information module and an accessmodule. The knowledge capture module is configured to capture researchdecision flow in the R&D activities. The research decision flow in theR&D activities is captured by receiving an objective of each R&Dactivity of the R&D activities. The objective is input by the one ormore members. After receiving the objective, one or more requirementsfor fulfilling the objective of each R&D activity are received. The oneor more requirements are determined by the one or more members.Thereafter, a set of risks associated with failure to satisfy the one ormore requirements is received. The set of risks is identified by the oneor more members. Thereafter, a set of tests are received to verify thatone or more requirements are satisfied or one or more risks of the setof risks are mitigated. Finally, a task plan to satisfy the one or morerequirements, mitigate one or more risks of the set of risks and conductone or more tests of the set of tests is received to capture researchdecision flow in the R&D activities. The task plan is defined by the oneor more members. Further, the knowledge capture module is alsoconfigured to capture a set of task information associated with one ormore tasks performed by the one or more members, the one or more tasksbeing related to the R&D activities. The linked information module isconfigured to link the objective, the one or more requirements, the setof risks, the set of tests, the task plan and the set of taskinformation related to each R&D activity. Lastly, the access moduleprovides access to the linked information module to the one or moremembers.

Another embodiment of the invention provides a method of distributingR&D investments to different R&D projects. The method includes detailedmetrics that are used to prioritize R&D projects for investments. Thesemetrics enable organizations to allocate resources to R&D projects thatare most likely to help them achieve strategic goals. One set of thesemetrics measure alignment of investments with the strategic weights. Afurther set of metrics enable organizations to identify and fundprojects that have applicability to multiple products and hence producea better return on R&D investments. Another set of metrics enableorganizations to encourage reuse of R&D preformed in previous projectsand hence reduce costs of delivering products to customers.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The preferred embodiments of the invention will hereinafter be describedin conjunction with the appended drawings, provided to illustrate andnot to limit the invention, wherein like designations denote likeelements, and in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary structure of an enterprise, inaccordance with the prior art;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary enterprise, where various embodiments ofthe present invention may be practiced;

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a Research & Development (R&D)Management System, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for capturing researchdecision flow in an R&D activity, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managing R&Dactivities in an enterprise, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managing investmenton R&D activities in an enterprise, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention;

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for performing aperformance review of a member of an enterprise involved in R&D, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for locating a personwith a predetermined skill, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for performing a reviewfor an R&D activity, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention;and

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managingintellectual property associated with R&D activities, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method for managing R&D, in accordancewith the prior art.

FIG. 12 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managing R&D, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary structure of an enterprise 100, inaccordance with the prior art. The enterprise 100 is organized intovarious sub-divisions to facilitate functioning of the enterprise 100.For the purpose of this description, the enterprise 100 has been shownto include six divisions, which include an R&D Division 102, anengineering division 104, a manufacturing division 106, a qualitycontrol division 107, a management division 108, a customer supportdivision 110, and a marketing division 112. These seven divisions willhereinafter be collectively referred to as the divisions 102-112. Eachdivision is responsible for their specific functions in the enterprise100. For example, the R&D division 102 handles all the research work andthe manufacturing division 106 handles all the manufacturing andproduction work.

Further, each of the divisions 102-112 can have its own sub-divisions.For example, the engineering division 104 can have various sub-divisionssuch as a mechanical engineering sub-division 114, a thermal engineeringsub-division 116, and a chemical engineering sub-division 118. Althoughsub-divisions of the engineering division 104 are shown in FIG. 1 forthe sake of clarity, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art,that each of the divisions 102-112 can have its own sub-divisions.

While performing their respective roles, each of the divisions 102-112generates a lot of information. This information is stored for recordkeeping and future reference. This information includes work-relateddocuments, reports, communications, work plans & objectives, and thelike. Typically, this information is maintained separately by eachdivision. The R&D division 102 stores R&D information 120, theengineering division 104 stores the engineering information 122, themanufacturing division 106 stores manufacturing information 124, thequality control division stores inspection and testing information, themanagement division 108 stores management information 126, the customersupport division 110 stores customer support information 128, and themarketing division stores the marketing information 130. Further, in anembodiment, various sub-divisions of each of divisions 102-112 can alsostore its own information related to that subdivision. For example, themechanical engineering sub-division 114 of the engineering division 104can store information related to the mechanical engineering sub-division114. In another embodiment, the divisions 102-112 can store informationrelated to their respective sub-divisions. For example, the engineeringdivision 104 can also store information related to the mechanicalengineering sub-division 114, the thermal engineering sub-division 116,and the chemical engineering sub-division 118. In an embodiment, theinformation from the divisions 102-112 may be stored in a centralserver. However, even in this case, the purpose is only to store allinformation in one place. The information can still not be easilyaggregated or accessed.

Aggregation of information from the divisions 102-112 is required tofacilitate R&D work because even though their roles are different, theirobjectives are interlinked. Each division works towards the commonobjective of running and growing the enterprise 100. Hence, theiroperations also need to be in sync with each other so as to achieve thecommon objective. Further, sub-divisions of the divisions 102-112 mayalso need to be coordinated with each other. Furthermore, the divisions102-112 may also be required to coordinate their work with the othersub-divisions of the divisions 102-112. An example of this can includethe manufacturing division 106 performing manufacturing of product. Tomanufacture the product, the manufacturing division 106 needs tounderstand the various features about design of the product and possibleknowledge of advantages and disadvantages of design. For this, themanufacturing division 106 needs to have access to the knowledgegenerated by the mechanical engineering sub-division 114. Anotherexample can include the marketing division 112 performing a marketsurvey to determine consumer preferences. In order to benefit from theinsights from the survey, the products would need to be modified to meetthe consumer preferences. To achieve this objective, R&D division 102needs to access and understand the results of the survey and link themto their research objectives. Further, the R&D division 102 would needthe help of the engineering division 104 and the manufacturing division106 to evaluate the viability of coming out with the improved product.Hence, even though the R&D division performs only its respectivefunction, very often it requires information and assistance from theother divisions.

Given this interdependence of the divisions 102-112, storing theirrespective information in separate un-integrated chunks results in a lotof inefficiency in the functioning of the enterprise 100. Thisinefficiency can be in the form of manual communication delays orincomplete information transfer resulting in time wastage and redundanteffort. The divisions could also face difficulty in comprehending thetransferred information due to use of technical jargon in thetransferred information specific to each division.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary enterprise 200, where variousembodiments of the present invention may be practiced. The enterprise200 is organized into various sub-divisions to facilitate functioning ofthe enterprise 200. For the purpose of this description, the enterprise200 has been shown to include six divisions which include an R&DDivision 206, an engineering division 208, a manufacturing division 210,a quality control division 211, a management division 212, a customersupport division 214, and a marketing division 216. These six divisionswill hereinafter be collectively referred to as the divisions 206-216.Each division is responsible for their specific functions in theenterprise 200. Further, each of the divisions 202-216 can have its ownsub-divisions. For example, the engineering division 208 can havevarious sub-divisions such as a mechanical engineering sub-division 218,a thermal engineering sub-division 220, and a chemical engineeringsub-division 222. Although sub-divisions of the engineering division 208are shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of clarity, it will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that each of the divisions 206-216 can have itsown sub-divisions.

The enterprise 200 also includes a Research and Development (R&D)management system 202. The R&D management system 202 helps manage allthe R&D related activities in the enterprise 200. It includes aninformation database 204 that is used to store the information generatedby the divisions 206-216 while performing their respective roles. Theinformation database 204 stores all the information from the divisions206-216 in an aggregated form. It is this aggregated information that isused by the R&D management system to organize and streamline the wholeR&D effort in the enterprise 200 to make it more efficient. An exampleof such a usage can be planning R&D work based on aggregated informationon all R&D activities currently going on in R&D division 206. Otherexamples can include distributing investment across various R&Dactivities based on their relative priorities to other divisions,monitoring progress of different R&D activities and accordinglymodifying R&D planning schedules, and providing access to theinformation database 204 by the divisions 206-216 to enable accurate andefficient information transfer.

FIG. 3 illustrates a block diagram of a Research & Development (R&D)management system 300, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. The R&D management system 300 is capable of managing R&Dactivities in an enterprise. The enterprise includes one or moredivisions. Examples of the divisions include, but are not limited to, anR&D division, a research division, an engineering division, amanufacturing division, a technology division, a management division, amarketing division, and a customer service division. The one or moredivisions include one or more members who are employees of theenterprise. In an embodiment, the R&D management system can be similarto the R&D management system 202 described in conjunction with FIG. 2.

The R&D management system 300 includes a knowledge capture module 302, alinked information module 304, and an access module 306. The knowledgecapture module 302 is configured to capture research decision flow inthe R&D activities. It captures the research decision flow by performinga series of steps. Firstly, the knowledge capture module 302 receives anobjective of each R&D activity. Examples of the objective can includedevelopment of a new product such as an engine or a car, researching anew technology for example quantum computing or nanotechnology,modifying an existing product and the like. The objective is input by atleast one of the one or more members from any of the divisions. Forexample, the objective could be input by a member from the marketingdivision based on market surveys, a member from the management divisionbased on a newly adopted business strategy, or by a head of the R&Ddivision based on his discussions with the heads of all the otherdivisions.

Next, the knowledge capture module 302 receives one or more requirementsfor fulfilling the objective of each R&D activity. The requirementsinclude essentially two parts, all the sub-objectives required to becompleted to achieve the objective and all the limitations that have tobe met while meeting the objective. Examples of the requirements caninclude certain characteristics required in the new product such as fuelefficiency or safety. Another example of requirements can be based onmodification specifications that need to be met by the modifiedproducts, such as the performance remaining the same while increasingthe fuel efficiency or the safety standards being met while usinglightweight materials to build the car. The one or more requirements aredetermined by at least one of the one or more members of the divisions.For example, the requirement could be a cost requirement determined andinput by a member of the marketing division, or an internationalstandards requirement determined and input by a member of theengineering division or by a member of the R&D division.

Thereafter, the knowledge capture module 302 receives a set of risksassociated with failure to satisfy the one or more requirements. Theserisks are basically the points of concern or the possible loopholes tobe kept in mind while working towards meeting the requirements. The setof risks can include risks such as the components being used toformulate a new cosmetics product could react to form a poisonoussubstance in the presence of water, welds used to fabricate a componentin a machine could rupture beyond a certain speed of operation, and thelike. The set of risks are also identified by at least one of the one ormore members of the divisions. In some industries, such as softwaredevelopment, there is no significant need for risk assessment. In suchcases, the knowledge capture module 302 does not receive any risks.

Thereafter, the knowledge capture module 302 receives a set of teststhat verify that the requirements are satisfied or risks have beenmitigated. These tests can include inspections during the manufacturingprocess or testing of various elements of the product. In industriessuch as software development, where there are no significant risks, theknowledge capture module only receives a set of tests that verify thatthe requirements are met.

Lastly, the knowledge capture module 302 receives a task plan to satisfythe one or more requirements, mitigate one or more risks of the set ofrisks and conduct one more tests. The task plan includes a list of tasksand sub-tasks and the schedule within which they have to be completed.For example, a task plan of development of a lightweight engine can havea list of tasks and sub-tasks such as researching lightweight materialsfor the engine, testing each material for temperature behavior anddurability and selecting a material based on testing results,fabricating sample engines, and testing the sample engines forcompliance with all of the one or more requirements. etc. The task planis also defined by at least one of the one or more members of thedivisions. Hence, by receiving and aggregating all the informationregarding the objectives, requirements, risks and plans, the knowledgecapture module 302 is able to capture the research decision flow. Theprocess of capturing the research decision flow is described in detailin conjunction with the description of FIG. 4.

Further, the knowledge capture module 302 is also configured to capturea set of task information associated with one or more tasks performed bythe one or more members. Each of the task information includesimplementation details associated with a task of the list of tasks andsub-tasks of the task plan. For example, task information fordevelopment of a light-weight engine can include computer models of theengine and its parts, finite element analysis files for examining theengine and its parts, computer numerical control (CNC) machining filesfor building the engine, information on task performers, communicationsassociated with the tasks, minutes of meetings related to the tasks,results and reports containing outputs of the tasks, and the like.

The linked information module 304 is configured to link the objective,the one or more requirements, the set of risks, the set of tests, thetask plan, and the set of task information related to each R&D activity.The linked information module 304 includes a linked information databaseto store this information. Linking also involves interlinking each ofobjectives, requirements, risks, tests and plans to each other. Forexample, the risks related to each requirement are linked to it alongwith all information regarding the tasks in the plan directed towardsmeeting the requirement. Linking the information related to each R&Dactivity gives exhaustive sets of structured information for each R&Dactivity. These sets of structured information can be used to transferknowledge relating to each R&D activity. This ensures accurate andcomplete knowledge transfer thus rendering the whole process of R&D moreefficient. In one embodiment, the linked information database in thelinked information module 304 can also include investment data,skill-set data, intellectual property data, and a set of communicationdata. Further, the linked information module 304 also includes data fromthe one or more divisions.

The linked information module 304 is also capable of overcoming theproblem of different jargons being used across various divisions in theenterprise. This is achieved by providing a context of each decision.The context helps in understanding each decision since the context ishighly objective in nature as opposed to subjective nature of contextthat may arise due to varying interpretation of jargon by members ofdifferent divisions. For example, in case of a light-weight engine,satisfactory structural integrity over the design life is a key designrequirement. A structural engineer from the mechanical engineeringsub-division 218 is normally responsible for ensuring the structuralintegrity. The structural integrity depends on material properties ofthe aluminum used for building the engine and pressure and temperatureimposed upon it by combustion of fuel in the engine. The materialproperties in turn also depend on the temperature. A material scientistfrom the mechanical chemical engineering sub-division 218 222 isresponsible for determining properties of the aluminum. A computationalfluid dynamics (CFD) engineer from the chemical mechanical engineeringsub-division 222 218 is normally responsible for estimating temperatureand pressure generated by the combustion process. A thermal engineerfrom the thermal engineering sub-division 220 takes the results of thecombustion process and material properties from the material scientistand the CFD engineer to develop a temperature profile. The structuralengineer then combines the information from the material scientist, theCFD engineer and the thermal engineer in order to evaluate the life ofthe light-weight engine. Thus, it can be seen that the R&D process iscomplex. Further, the R&D process is interdependent. The temperature andpressures generated by the CFD engineer depend on material propertiesand thermal behavior of the engine. The thermal behavior in turn dependson the temperature, pressure and material properties. The combustionprocess is complex and can result in many different temperatures andpressures based on how long the engine has been running, how fast etc.

Historically, the exchange of information between all these engineerswas through an exchange of values for different parameters necessary tobuild discipline-specific models. However, the rationale behind how ateam member arrived at specific values was either lost because of jargonused in discipline-specific technical documents or was not captured atall. In the present example, the CFD engineer has to make severaldecisions about which temperature and pressure values are transferred tothermal and structural engineers. These decisions often have significantimpact on work performed by other team members downstream and on overalldesign of the engine. Many times, not understanding this rationale leadsto unnecessary cost being added to the product. Also, these decisionscan have opposite impact on different disciplines. For example, a highertemperature may restrict cracks growth to improve overall engine lifebut may actually increase chances of a leak.

In an embodiment of the present invention, each engineer outlinesrequirements and risks that they are addressing in their evaluation.Since this information is embedded in an easy-to-understand jargon-freelinked information record, each engineer is able to understand not onlythe values of parameters being provided to him, but also the rationalebehind how those values were generated. Hence the thermal engineer canunderstand the drivers and rationale behind parameters and values hereceives from the CFD engineer, while the CFD engineer can understandexactly how the thermal engineer is planning to use the temperature andpressure values he is receiving. Therefore, the linked informationmodule 304 helps in mitigating the impact of jargon and facilitating auser in understanding the rationale (or context) of a decision, andresults in development of more robust and cost-effective systems.

Further, in an embodiment, the context for each decision is provided bystructuring the information into predefined data fields. Various kindsof data formats such as drop down lists with limited options, percentagevalues for progress, summary fields with word limits, etc can be used tomake the data fields (the context) objective. Therefore, members of theenterprise can now represent their thoughts and work in fixed formats.This helps in reducing the complexity in the information. Further, sincethe amount of information is also reduced, in comparison with largedocuments that were traditionally used, it becomes very easy tocomprehend the information and make better informed decisions. Thelinked information database in the linked information module 304 is alsoconfigured to store the linked information. In addition to thestructured information, the linked information module 304 also providesmeans to store the work documents and data for record keeping purposes.

In one embodiment of the invention, the linked information module 304 isfurther configured to classify data in the linked information module 304into one or more categories. Examples of the one or more categoriesinclude, but are not limited to, a product category, a technologycategory, and a skill-set category. The classification of data into theone or more categories facilitates easier extraction of informationthrough organizing the data under various relevant categories. Hence, aperson requiring a particular kind of information regarding multiple R&Dactivities can directly access it through the relevant categories. Forexample, a person wants to find out how many R&D activities are beingworked on in the domain of material sciences. Then the person candirectly access the technology category under which he will be able tosee all current R&D activities in the domain of material sciences. Inaddition, he will also be able to see various details about each ofthese R&D activities such as progress, schedule, tasks, and the like.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that large R&D projectsare divided into subprojects. For example, R&D of a new car can bedivided into R&D of an engine, a chassis, etc. When R&D projects aresubdivided into subprojects, the relationship between project andsubproject is also stored in the linked information module 304. Inanother embodiment of the invention, it is possible to share or reusesub-projects between different projects by creating a new link in linkedinformation module 304. For example, an automotive manufacturing companycan share an engine R&D subproject between R&D of a new car and a newtruck. Further, such a link can be made between a technology project anda product project to transition the technology R&D into product R&D. Forexample, a technology project for developing a new metal can betransitioned into development of a new engine subproject of a project ofR&D of a new car. It will also be apparent to those skilled in the artthat each subproject can be classified using one or more subcategoriesof a parent project's category. For example, an R&D project fordevelopment of a new car and assigned the category of Family Cars can bedivided into an engine R&D subproject with a subcategory of SmallEngines. In another embodiment of the invention, the linked informationmodule 304 is further configured to store the relationships betweencategories and their subcategories. Hence, the classification of datacan be done at the overall product level or at a subcomponent level.

In one embodiment of the invention, the linked information database inthe linked information module 304 can be updated with every action thatis related to the R&D activity. Further, the linked information module304 can be used for modifying at least one of the objective, the one ormore requirements, the set of risks, set of tests, and the task plan.Such modifications will be required quite often as the insights obtainedthrough analysis of the linked information will cause changes to occurin the original objectives, requirements, risks, tests and plans. Forexample, when the results of a material testing experiment stored in thelinked information database in the linked information module 304 areseen by a manager in the R&D division, he decides to change theunderlying requirement. Hence, the linked information module 304maintains a very dynamic nature continuously being updated with anyaction related to the R&D activities.

In an embodiment of the invention, the job of linking the objective, theone or more requirements, the set of risks, the task plan, and the setof task information can also be performed by the knowledge capturemodule 302 only. The linked information database in the linkedinformation module 304 can be used for only storing the linkedinformation.

The access module 306 provides access to the linked information module304 by the one or more members of the one or more divisions. This resultin making the whole process of R&D management more efficient throughproviding the structured information to anyone and everyone who mightneed to refer to it for work purposes. Further, this structuredinformation can be used by the one or more members for various purposessuch as monitoring R&D activities, distributing investments among theR&D activities, modifying R&D activity plans, and various other purposesrelated to any aspect of the R&D activities.

In one embodiment of the invention, the access module 306 can implementan access control policy based on a role of a member in the enterprise.The access control policy authorizes members to perform various actionsbased on their roles in the enterprise. Examples of these actionsinclude, but are not limited to, inputting the objective, determiningthe one or more requirements, identifying the set of risks, defining thetask plan, performing the one or more tasks, and selectively accessingthe linked information module 304 based on the role of the member. Theaccess control policy is implemented to ensure that a member of theenterprise only has access to the information relevant to his/her role.This acts as a safeguard against misuse of the information in the linkedinformation module 304.

In one embodiment, the R&D management system 300 can also include aninvestment management module 308 that is configured to distribute aninvestment between the R&D activities based on data related to each R&Dactivity in the linked information database in the linked informationmodule 304. The investment management module 308 provides allinformation relevant for making investment decisions regarding the R&Dactivities. This relevant information can include effort estimates foreach R&D activity, cost estimates for each R&D activity, progress ofeach R&D activity, and the like. The investment management module 308 isalso capable of aggregating and organizing cost information intoseparate R&D activities if the costs are available for each task to beperformed in the R&D activity. For example, the R&D division 206, theengineering division 208 and its sub-divisions 218-222, and themanufacturing division 210 can have cost information related todifferent tasks involved in R&D. These division can incur cost invarious stages of development of the product, such as materialselection/development of product (by the R&D division 206), design ofproduct (by the mechanical engineering sub-division 218), thermalanalysis and chemical testing (by the thermal engineering sub-division220 and the chemical engineering sub-division 222), and manufacturingmethod development such as casting, powder metallurgy (by themanufacturing division 210) etc. The investment management module 308can aggregate and organize cost information from these differentcategories. This aggregated information can be useful in many ways suchas allocation of funds, estimating cost of a project (such asdevelopment of a new product in this example), utilization andrequirement of funds across various divisions etc. In addition, theinvestment management module 308 can account for relative priorities ofthe R&D activities to distribute the investment available. In otherwords, the investment management module 308 can help managers understandplanned investments in different product areas or technologies, andmodify them to support strategic priorities of the organization orrespond to changing needs of the organization.

In one embodiment, the R&D management system 300 can further include askill-set management module 310. The skill-set management module 310 canbe configured to collate data associated with a member of the one ormore members from the linked information database in the linkedinformation module 304. The collated data can be used for conducting theperformance review of the member. This enables a very comprehensiveperformance review for a member of the enterprise as all informationrelated to the work performed by the member is available on the linkedinformation module 304. Hence, the sum total of all this information canbe considered to be the best reflection of the work performed by themember in the enterprise. Further, this collated information can beprovided to a set of members who are related to the work performed bythis member. In one embodiment, the set of members can include managersfor whom this member has worked, the peers with whom this member hasworked, the reporting manager or sub-division manager for this member,and members from Human Resources (HR) division of the organization. Inanother embodiment, the set of members can include the project managerof this member and supervisor of this member. It will be apparent tothose skilled in the art that the set of members will depend on theneeds and policies of the organization. Further, performance reviews fora member can be obtained from members from each of these threecategories i.e. the peers, the reporting manager/sub-division managerand members from HR division, and then combined to give the overallperformance review of the member. The skill-set management module 308also provides for the member to perform his/her self-review. Thisself-review can also be accounted for while combining the remainingreviews to obtain the overall performance review.

In another embodiment of the invention, the performance review that isconducted using the collated information is used as the basis fordetermining skills of the member. This skill information for each memberis also stored in the linked information database in the linkedinformation module 304. Further, the skill-set management module 308 canbe configured to identify a member with a predetermined skill based onthe overall performance review of the member. Thus, whenever there is aspecific requirement for a person with a predetermined skill in theenterprise, the skill-set management module will enable efficienttracking of a suitable member across divisions, disciplines andgeographic locations.

In one embodiment, the R&D management system 300 can also include anactivity management module 312 that is configured to process data fromthe linked information module 304 related to an activity of the R&Dactivities in order to generate activity review data based on at leastone predefined parameter associated with the activity. The activityreview data can include tables, graphs and charts which can provide asummary of the information related to the activity. The activitymanagement module 312 also provides a graphical user interface fordisplaying the activity review data to a member to facilitate review ofthe activity. Examples of the predefined parameter include, but are notlimited to, a financial parameter, a progress parameter, a requirementsparameter, and a risk parameter. Generating the activity review datawith respect to specific parameters helps provide insights from the R&Dactivity related to that particular parameter. The activity review datacan also be used to modify the linked information database in the linkedinformation module 304. For example, on reviewing an activity using theactivity review data generated for it by the activity management module312, a member may determine the need to add or alter a requirement, arisk, or associated tasks. Hence, the member will modify the linkedinformation database in the linked information module 304 accordingly.

In one embodiment, the R&D management system 300 can further include anIntellectual Property (IP) management module 314. The IP managementmodule 314 is configured to generate intellectual property dataassociated with the R&D activities based on the set of task informationregarding the one or more tasks. This intellectual property dataprimarily includes linked information records that are identified to benew research. These linked information records contain the outputs ofthe one or more tasks that were performed as part of the R&D activitiesat the enterprise. Hence, intellectual property data can be used togenerate a set of intellectual property assets associated with the R&Dactivities. Examples of the intellectual property assets can includepatents, research papers and the like. The intellectual property datacan also be used to classify the set of intellectual property assetsbased on a set of predefined criteria. Examples of the classificationinclude, but are not limited to, assets to be used in the enterprise'sown products, assets to be sold to other firms, and assets that can belicensed out to other firms. Further, the classification can be based onpredefined criteria such as the applicability of the asset to theenterprise's lines of business, the financial viability of using theasset in their own product, and potential for licensing the asset.

In one embodiment, the R&D management system 300 can also include acommunication channel 316 that is configured to enable the one or moremembers to communicate regarding the one or more tasks associated withthe R&D activities. The inclusion of the communication channel 316 intothe R&D management system 300 facilitates the capture of a set ofcommunication data associated with the one or more tasks performed bythe one or more members. The communication channel 316 can includevarious means of communication such as emails, messengers, telephones,and meeting conversations, etc. Some of these means of communicationssuch as telephones can be implemented with the advancement of voicerecognition technology. Correspondingly, it also provides means forcapturing each kind of communication such as electronic communication,telephonic communication, and verbal communication.

In one embodiment, the R&D management system 300 can further includelinking modules 318. The linking modules 318 are configured to processdata from a plurality of R&D tools used to perform the one or moretasks. The processed information is stored in the linked informationdatabase in the linked information module 304. For the purpose of thisdescription, the linking modules 318 have been shown connected to threeR&D tools, R&D tool A 320, R&D tool B 322, and R&D tool C 324,collectively referred to as R&D tools 320-324. Examples of the R&D tools320-324 can include, but are not limited to, a simulation machine, amechanical testing machine, an electronic testing machine, and the like.The information from the R&D tools 320-324 may need to be processedbefore storing in the linked information module 304 so as to make itcompatible with the format used to store data in the linked informationdatabase in the linked information module 304.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for capturing researchdecision flow in an R&D activity, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention. The R&D activity is performed by a member in anenterprise. To describe the flow diagram, reference will be made to FIG.3, although it should be understood that the flow diagram can beimplemented in any other suitable environment or network. The method canbe performed by the knowledge capture module 302.

At step 402, an objective of the R&D activity is defined for the R&Dsystem 300. In one embodiment of the invention, the objective of the R&Dactivity is defined by the member. At step 404, one or more requirementsare determined for fulfilling the objective of the R&D activity. At step406, a set of risks are identified that are associated with failure tosatisfy the one or more requirements. At step 407, a set of tests areidentified that are associated with satisfying the one or morerequirements or mitigating one or more risks of the set of risks. A taskplan is developed to satisfy the one or more requirements at step 408.Further, the task plan can also mitigate one or more risks at step 408.Further, a task plan can also conduct one or more tests at step 408.

In industries such as software development, where there is nosignificant need for risk assessment, step 406 can be eliminated. Insuch industries, the step 407 can be modified to only identify teststhat verify that the requirements are satisfied. The step 408 can bemodified to only develop task plans to satisfy one or more requirementsand develop a task plan to only test if requirements are satisfied.

At step 410, the objective, the one or more requirements, the set ofrisks, the set of tests and the task plan are linked to generate alinked information record. Although the flow diagram shows steps 402-410sequentially, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that thesesteps can occur asynchronously during R&D. For example, a team membermay input a new requirement or update the one or more requirementsdetermined at step 404 after task plan 408 has already been defined andR&D is in-progress. Further, as another example, a team member maydiscover a new risk 406 after the task plan 408 has been defined and R&Dis in-progress.

The linked information record generated at step 410 is specific to theR&D activity being performed by the member. However, this method can beused to generate linked information records containing informationregarding more than one R&D activity. Further, the linked informationrecord can be used to understand the thought process behind thedecisions made while performing the R&D activity. This is made possiblethrough structuring every R&D activity into a logical structure made ofobjectives, requirements, risks and plans. Hence, through codifying allactions in this structure, the logic and understanding behind thedecision can also be captured.

Let us take the example of an R&D activity that is directed towardsdesigning a lightweight engine. Hence, the objective of the R&D activityis to design a low-cost lightweight engine. Based on this objective, aresearcher will define requirements such as the engine material has tobe lighter by 20%, engine cost cannot be greater than a threshold value,and the like. Thereafter, the researcher will identify what are therisks that could be faced in meeting these requirements, such as thedurability of the engine might be compromised while picking alightweight material, the material may become weak on being exposed tocycles of sudden temperature changes, and the like. Lastly, theresearcher will define a task plan directed towards meeting all therequirements while ensuring that all risks are mitigated. An example ofsuch a task plan can include following tasks in the order they arespecified. First, find out lightweight materials to be considered aspossible options. Then test each material for temperature behavior anddurability. After selecting a material, design the engine block andother components. Lastly, fabricate sample engines and test the sampleengines for fuel efficiency and other characteristics. The examplestated above is only for illustration purposes and it will be apparentto those skilled in the art that the requirements and risks in R&Dactivity can be more complex than those illustrated above.

After defining the task plan, each of the tasks will be carried out andtheir results obtained. Now, based on these results, the R&D activityrequirements, risks, tests and plans can be changed accordingly. Forexample, after having tested all materials, aluminum is chosen as thematerial for the engine. However, on fabricating and testing the engine,it is found that aluminum reacts with an additive in the fuel oncombustion. Based on this observation, aluminum will be ruled out andanother material will be chosen. Hence, if at a later date a personworking on another new engine wonders why aluminum was not chosen forthe previous engine, then the linked information record will provide theanswer directly. Therefore, by capturing all the actions in thisstructure, we can understand the reasons behind each and every decisionthat was made regarding the R&D activity. In one embodiment of theinvention, the linked information record can be updated with everyaction that is related to the R&D activity.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managing R&Dactivities in an enterprise, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. The enterprise includes one or more divisions. Examples ofthe divisions include, but are not limited to, an R&D division, aresearch division, an engineering division, a manufacturing division, atechnology division, a management division, a marketing division, and acustomer service division. The one or more divisions include one or moremembers who are typically employees of the enterprise. To describe theflow diagram, reference will be made to FIG. 3, although it should beunderstood that the flow diagram can be implemented in any othersuitable environment or network.

At step 502, an objective of each R&D activity of the R&D activities isdefined. In one embodiment of the invention, the objective of each R&Dactivity can be input into the knowledge capture module 302 by at leastone of the one or more members of the divisions. At step 504, one ormore requirements for fulfilling the objective of each R&D activity areinput into the capture module 302. In one embodiment of the invention,the one or more requirements can be determined by at least one of theone or more members of the divisions and then input into the knowledgecapture module 302. At step 506, a set of risks associated with failureto satisfy the one or more requirements is input into the capture module302. In one embodiment of the invention, the set of risks can beidentified by at least one of the one or more members of the divisions.At step 507, a set of tests are defined to verify that the one or morerequirements are satisfied or one or more of the set of risks aremitigated. In one embodiment of the invention, the set of tests can bedefined by at least one of the one or more members of the divisions.Thereafter, at step 508, a task plan to satisfy the one or morerequirements, mitigate one or more risks of the set of risks, or conductone or more tests of the set of test is input into the capture module.In one embodiment, the task plan can be defined by at least one of theone or more members of the divisions. These steps 502-508 collectivelyform the process of capturing research decision flow in the R&Dactivities. The process of capturing the research decision flow isdescribed in detail in conjunction with the description of FIG. 4.

At step 510, a set of task information is captured that is associatedwith one or more tasks performed by the one or more members. The one ormore tasks are related to the R&D activities. In one embodiment, the setof task information can be captured by the knowledge capture module 302.Thereafter, at step 512, the objective, the one or more requirements,the set of risks, the task plan, and the set of task information relatedto each R&D activity are linked to generate a linked informationdatabase in a linked information module for the R&D activities. In oneembodiment of the invention, the objective, the one or morerequirements, the set of risks, the task plan and the set of taskinformation can be linked by the knowledge capture module 302 and storedin the linked information database in the linked information module 304.

Lastly, at step 514, access to the linked information module 304 isprovided to the one or more members. In one embodiment of the invention,access to the linked information module 304 can be provided by theaccess module 306. The access module 306 can implement an access controlpolicy based on a role of a member in the enterprise.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managing investmenton R&D activities in an enterprise, in accordance with an embodiment ofthe invention. To describe the flow diagram, reference will be made toFIG. 3, although it should be understood that the flow diagram can beimplemented in any other suitable environment or network.

At step 602, data related to each R&D activity is accessed from thelinked information database in the linked information module 304. In oneembodiment of the invention, data related to each R&D activity can beaccessed by the investment management module 308. At step 604, aninvestment is distributed between the R&D activities based on the datarelated to each R&D activity from the linked information module 304. Inone embodiment of the invention, the investment can be distributedbetween the R&D activities by the investment management module 308. Thefunctioning of the investment management module 308 is described indetail in conjunction with the description of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for performing aperformance review of a member of an enterprise involved in R&D, inaccordance with an embodiment of the invention. To describe the flowdiagram, reference will be made to FIG. 3, although it should beunderstood that the flow diagram can be implemented in any othersuitable environment or network.

At step 702, data associated with one or more members of the enterpriseis accessed from the linked information module 304. In one embodiment ofthe invention, data associated with one or more members of theenterprise can be accessed by the skill-set management module 310. Atstep 704, the data associated with the member of the one or more membersis collated. In one embodiment of the invention, the data associatedwith the member of the one or more members can be collated by theskill-set management module 310. Thereafter, at step 706, the collateddata is provided to a set of members of the one or more members forperformance review of the member. In one embodiment of the invention,the collated data can be provided to a set of members by the skill-setmanagement module 310. The set of members can include each member underwhom the member being evaluated has worked and the members from at leastone division of the one or more divisions. The functioning of theskill-set management module 310 is described in detail in conjunctionwith the description of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for locating a personwith a predetermined skill, in accordance with an embodiment of theinvention. To describe the flow diagram, reference will be made to FIG.3, although it should be understood that the flow diagram can beimplemented in any other suitable environment or network.

At step 802, data associated with performance review of one or moremembers is accessed from the linked information module 304. In oneembodiment of the invention, data associated with performance review ofone or more members can be accessed by the skill-set management module310. At step 804, members with a predetermined skill are identifiedbased on the performance review of the member. In one embodiment of theinvention, members with the predetermined skill can be identified by theskill-set management module 310. The functioning of the skill-setmanagement module 310 is described in detail in conjunction with thedescription of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for performing a reviewfor an R&D activity, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.To describe the flow diagram, reference will be made to FIG. 3, althoughit should be understood that the flow diagram can be implemented in anyother suitable environment or network.

At step 902, data related to R&D activities is accessed from the linkedinformation module 304. In one embodiment of the invention, data relatedto R&D activities can be accessed by the activity management module 312.At step 904, the data associated with an R&D activity of the R&Dactivities is collated for conducting reviews of the R&D activity. Inone embodiment of the invention, the data associated with the R&Dactivity is collated by the activity management module 312. At step 906,feedback from the reviews is captured and incorporated into the linkedinformation module 304. In one embodiment of the invention, the feedbackis incorporated by the activity management module 312. The functioningof the activity management module 312 is described in detail inconjunction with description of FIG. 3.

FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating a method for managingintellectual property associated with R&D activities, in accordance withan embodiment of the invention. To describe the flow diagram, referencewill be made to FIG. 3, although it should be understood that the flowdiagram can be implemented in any other suitable environment or network.

At step 1002, a set of task information regarding one or more tasksrelated to R&D activities is accessed from the linked information module304. In one embodiment of the invention, the set of task informationregarding the one or more tasks can be accessed by the IntellectualProperty (IP) management module 314. At step 1004, intellectual propertydata associated with the R&D activities is generated. In one embodimentof the invention, the intellectual property data associated with the R&Dactivities can be generated by the IP management module 314.

At step 1006, a set of intellectual property assets associated with theR&D activities is generated. In one embodiment of the invention, the setof intellectual property assets can be generated by the IP managementmodule 314. Thereafter, at step 1008, the set of intellectual propertyassets is classified based on a set of predefined criteria such asproximity with core line of business, implementation ease, contributionto brand value etc. In one embodiment of the invention, the set ofpredefined criteria can be classified by the IP management module 314.The functioning of the IP management module 314 is described in detailin conjunction with description of FIG. 3.

FIG. 11 illustrates an exemplary method 1100 for allocating R&Dinvestments in accordance with prior art. The method 1100 is dividedinto various steps to accomplish investment distribution. At step 1102,proposals are received requesting R&D investments to conduct new R&Dprojects. At step 1104, executives in the enterprise define strategicdirections that guide R&D investments. At step 1106, management meetingsare conducted that loosely translate Strategic Directions 1104 into R&Dproject funding decisions 1108. Once R&D projects are funded executionplans 1110 are developed and R&D execution commences. Project managersmeasure execution using standalone metrics 1112, which drives managementactions 1114. Given the interdependencies between R&D projects and thecomplexity of products and technologies under development managers havelittle insight into the impact of their decisions. Since the informationnecessary to make decisions is distributed across multiple tools andprocesses.

FIG. 12 illustrates and exemplary method 1200 that utilizes the linkedinformation database 304 to practice an embodiment of present invention604. Leaders in an enterprise can express their strategic prioritiesin-terms of target strategic distributions for R&D investments, wheretargets are expressed as fraction of total R&D investments. At step1202, leaders within the enterprise are asked to communicate strategicdirections in terms of target distributions of investments betweendevelopment of new products and technologies, and distribution acrossmultiple categories defined in 304. Many methods such as surveys orinterviews can be used to elicit these distributions and have beendescribed extensively in the art.

At step 1204, enterprise leaders can also communicate strategic targetsfor other parameters such as design reuse or development slack. At step1206, information about R&D project proposals is obtained from thedatabase 304. At step 1208, investment allocation metrics are computedto help enterprises understand the actual distribution of R&D investmentrequests from project proposals across or R&D investments in completedprojects for each strategic target.

In an embodiment of the invention, actual distribution for product R&Dinvestments is computed by summing individual R&D project costs fromdatabase 304 which are assigned a product category or subcategory. Forexample, in an automotive company, the R&D costs can be summed acrossproducts such as Family Cars, Sports Cars, Trucks, etc. Or the costs canbe summed for engines, transmissions, braking subsystems, etc.Similarly, the distribution for technology investments is computed bysumming costs for projects that are assigned a technology or any othercategory. For example, in an automotive company, the R&D costs can besummed across technologies such as metals, electronics, etc. AnInvestment Alignment Index (IAI) for each category is computed bymeasuring the deviation between the actual investment distribution andtarget distribution defined by the executives. One approach forcomputing IAI is dividing the actual investment fraction by targetinvestment fraction for each category and then summing these fractionsover all related categories. Another approach for computing IAI iscomputing an average of absolute deviation from target or a variationfrom the target across categories. For examples, the actual distributionof R&D costs may be 33% each in Family Cars, Sports Cars and Trucks;while the executives can set the target as 25% each Family Cars andSports Cars and 50% in Trucks. The IAI can be computed as 11.1%. At step1210, enterprises can analyze IAI and take appropriate actions to fundR&D activities.

One of the key reasons for wasted effort in R&D is lack ofsynchronization between different elements of a product. If onecomponent within a product is ready much earlier than others, moreinvestment may be required to change the completed component becausedifficulties encountered during the R&D of the rest of the product.Another embodiment of the invention enables enterprises to eliminatesuch waste by computing an Investment Slack Index (ISI). The linkedinformation database 304 contains relationships between projects andtheir subprojects. Another set of information that can be stored in 304is the level of maturity of each subproject. In one embodiment of theinvention, slack costs can be computed by summing costs of allsubprojects that are at a higher level of maturity than the parentproject. One approach for computing ISI is to divide slack costs by thetotal R&D costs. Another approach may be to divide the differencebetween slack costs and total costs by total costs. For example, in anautomotive company, a project for R&D of a new car may have subprojectsfor R&D or engines and transmission. The maturity level of the overallcar may be 2, but the engine may be at a maturity level of 3. In thiscase, the engine will be ready earlier than the rest of the car and mayneed to be changed completely depending on results of R&D of thetransmission. If both subprojects cost $100,000 each and the totalproject costs are $300,000, the ISI can be computed as 100/300=33%. Atstep 1210, enterprises can compare ISI with targets determined byexecutives and take appropriate actions to fund R&D activities.

Another reason for wasted resources in R&D is lack of investmentbreadth: where the enterprise invests in R&D of only in some of thecomponents necessary to get a new product to market. Another embodimentof the invention enables enterprises to eliminate such waste bycomputing an Investment Breadth Index (IBI). The linked informationdatabase 304 contains relationships between projects, their subprojectsand related categories and subcategories. In one embodiment of theinvention, breadth costs can be computed by identifying projects by eachsubcategory and summing corresponding costs. One approach for computingIBI is to compute the standard deviation of breadth costs across allsubcategories of a category. Another approach for computing IBI may bethe coefficient of variation of breadth costs across all subcategoriesof a category. For example, in an automotive company, a Family Carscategory may have subcategories of Engines, Transmissions and Breaks.The sum of costs of all R&D projects for Engines, Transmissions andBreaks may be $1,000,000, $500,000 and $250,000 respectively. The IBIcan be computed as coefficient of variation of ($1,000,000, $500,000 and$250,000)=65.4%. At step 1210, enterprises can compare IBI with targetsdetermined by executives and take appropriate actions to fund R&Dactivities.

One approach enterprises use to improve R&D effectiveness is to funddevelopment of components and technologies that benefit multipleproducts. Hence, many products gain benefit from the investment whilethe enterprise pays only once for the R&D. One embodiment of theinvention enables enterprises to enhance R&D effectiveness by computingDesign Reuse Index (DRI). The linked information database 304 containsinformation about R&D projects that reuse or share subprojects. In oneembodiment of the invention, reuse costs can be computed by summingcosts of subprojects every time they are reused or shared and adding thetotal R&D costs to the sum. One approach for computing DRI is to dividereuse costs by the total R&D costs. For example, in an automotivecompany, a Cars division may be developing and engine as a subproject(at a cost of $100,000) for a new car development project. A Trucksdivision may choose to use the car engine in a new truck product. Sincethe R&D of the engine is already covered by the Cars division, thedevelopment is essentially free for the new truck project. If the totalR&D costs for the company are $1,000,000, reuse costs can be computed as$1,000,000+$100,000 for reuse of the engine project. Hence, the DRI canbe computed as $1,110,000/$1,000,000=110%. At step 1210, enterprises cancompare DRI with targets determined by executives and take appropriateactions to fund R&D activities.

Technologies developed in enterprises have to be inserted into deliveredproducts for enterprises to derive value from their technologyinvestments. In many cases, technology development starts several yearsbefore product development. One embodiment of the invention computesTechnology Insertion Index (TII) to enable enterprises to measure theplanned insertions of technologies. The linked information database 304contains information about technology R&D projects that have plannedfuture insertion into products. In one embodiment of the invention,insertion costs can be computed by summing costs of all technologyprojects that have planned insertion. One approach for computing TII isto divide insertion costs by total R&D costs for all technologyprojects. For example, in an automotive company, a casting technologyproject for R&D of a development (a cost of $100,000), becomes acceptedas part of a new engine R&D subproject or anew car project. If totaltechnology R&D costs for the company are at $1,000,000, the TII can becomputed as $100,000/$1,000,000=10%. At step 1210, enterprises cancompare TII with targets determined by executives and take appropriateactions to fund R&D activities.

At step 1212, enterprises can plan and execute funded R&D activities andinput related requirements, risks, tests or tasks into the LinkedInformation Database 304. At step 1214, the linked information recordsare obtained to compute R&D execution metrics (step 1216). Prior artshows computation of metrics such as cost performance index (CPI),schedule performance index (SPI), etc. However, most of these metricsare indicators of past performance, not a guide of future effortrequired. In another embodiment of the invention two metrics arecomputed that provide enterprises a better view into the progress of R&Dprojects.

In another embodiment of the invention, Objective Performance Index(OPI) is computed to measure how the R&D project is achieving itsobjectives. The linked information database 304 contains informationabout R&D projects objectives, requirements to fulfill those objectivesand tasks undertaken to ensure requirements are satisfied. In oneembodiment of the invention, objective performance for each objectivecan be computed by summing costs of tasks completed for eachrequirement. For partially completed tasks, objective performance can becomputed by scaling the costs based on fraction work completed. OPI of aproject can then be computed by aggregating objective performance acrossall objectives of a project. OPI for the all the R&D activities in anenterprise can be computed by aggregating their OPI. In anotherembodiment of the invention, OPI for each R&D project can be computedusing a cost weighted average of OPI for each project objective.Similarly, OPI for all the R&D activities in an enterprise can becomputed using a cost weighted average of all OPI for all R&D activitiesin an enterprise. At step 1218, enterprises can compare OPI with targetsdetermined by executives and take appropriate actions to guide R&Dactivities.

In another embodiment of the invention, Risk Reduce Performance Index(RRPI) is computed to measure how the R&D project is mitigating itsrisks. The linked information database 304 contains information aboutR&D projects objectives, requirements to satisfy those objectives, riskthat the requirements will not be satisfied and tasks undertaken tomitigate those risks. In one embodiment of the invention, risk reductionfor each objective can be computed by summing costs of tasks completedfor each risk. For partially completed tasks, risk reduction performancecan be computed by scaling the costs based on fraction work completed.RRPI of a project can then be computed by aggregating risk reductionacross all objectives of a project. RRPI for the all the R&D activitiesin an enterprise can be computed by aggregating their RRPI. In anotherembodiment of the invention, RRPI for each R&D project can be computedusing a cost weighted average of RRPI for each project objective.Similarly, RRPI for all the R&D activities in an enterprise can becomputed using a cost weighted average of RRPI for all R&D activities inan enterprise. At step 1218, enterprises can compare RRPI with targetsdetermined by executives and take appropriate actions to guide R&Dactivities.

In another embodiment of the invention, Test Performance Index (TPI) iscomputed to measure how the R&D project is achieving its testingobjectives. The linked information database 304 contains informationabout R&D projects objectives, requirements to fulfill those objectives,risks that requirements will not be satisfied, tests to verify that therequirements are satisfied and risks mitigated, and tasks undertaken tosatisfy requirements, mitigate risks and conduct tests. In oneembodiment of the invention, test performance for each objective can becomputed by summing costs of tasks completed for each test. Forpartially completed tasks, test performance can be computed by scalingthe costs based on fraction work completed. TPI of a project can then becomputed by aggregating test performance across all objectives of aproject. TPI for the all the R&D activities in an enterprise can becomputed by aggregating their TPI. In another embodiment of theinvention, TPI for each R&D project can be computed using a costweighted average of TPI for each project objective. Similarly, TPI forall the R&D activities in an enterprise can be computed using a costweighted average of all TPI for all R&D activities in an enterprise. Atstep 1218, enterprises can compare TPI with targets determined byexecutives and take appropriate actions to guide R&D activities.

Various embodiments of the invention provide a method and system formanaging R&D activities in an enterprise. The method provides atechnique to capture the research decision flow in the R&D activitiesand store it in the form of structured information. Therefore, themethod enables the thought process and rationale involved in the R&Dactivity to be captured. Further, the method also overcomes the problemof different jargons used across different sub-divisions through storingthe information in objective data fields, thus reducing the complexityof the information.

Various embodiments of the invention provide a method for managing R&Dactivities in an enterprise which makes the whole process of R&Dmanagement more efficient, thus increasing the productivity of the R&Deffort. The method also improves the overall visibility into the wholeR&D process.

Various embodiments of the invention provide a system for managing R&Dactivities in an enterprise, which activities span across the divisionsof the enterprise, and enables exhaustive data capture and effectivesharing of information in the enterprise.

The system, as described in the present invention or any of itscomponents, may be embodied in the form of a computer system. Typicalexamples of a computer system include a general-purpose computer, aprogrammed microprocessor, a micro-controller, a peripheral integratedcircuit element, and other devices or arrangements of devices that arecapable of implementing the steps constituting the method of the presentinvention.

The computer system comprises a computer, an input device, and a displayunit. The computer comprises a microprocessor, which is connected to acommunication bus. The computer also includes a memory, which mayinclude Random Access Memory (RAM) and Read Only Memory (ROM). Further,the computer system comprises a storage device, which can be a hard diskdrive or a removable storage drive such as a floppy disk drive, anoptical disk drive, and so forth. The storage device can also be othersimilar means for loading computer programs or other instructions on thecomputer system.

The computer system executes a set of instructions that are stored in atleast one storage element to process input data. The storage elementsmay also hold data or other information, as desired, and may be aninformation source or physical memory element present in the processingmachine.

The set of instructions may include various commands that instruct theprocessing machine to execute specific tasks such as the stepsconstituting the method of the present invention. The set ofinstructions may be in the form of a software program. The software maybe in various forms such as system software or application software.Further, the software may be in the form of a collection of separateprograms, a program module with a larger program, or a portion of aprogram module. The software may also include modular programming in theform of object-oriented programming. Processing of input data by theprocessing machine may be in response to user commands, to the resultsof previous processing, or to a request made by another processingmachine.

While the preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustratedand described, it will be clear that the invention is not limited tothese embodiments only. Numerous modifications, changes, variations,substitutions and equivalents will be apparent to those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, asdescribed in the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for capturing research decision flow inResearch and Development (R&D) of a new product or technology, themethod comprising: defining or modifying and capturing an objective ofthe R&D of the new product or technology in a dynamically linkedinformation record; determining or modifying and capturing one or morerequirements for fulfilling an objective of the new product ortechnology in the dynamically linked information record; defining ormodifying and capturing a set of tests for verifying that the one ormore requirements of the new product or technology are satisfied in thedynamically linked information record; developing or modifying andcapturing in the dynamically linked information record a task plan toperform at least one of satisfying the one or more requirements andconducting one or more of the set of tests; and generating thedynamically linked information record in a computer system operativelyconnected to a storage device or arrangement of storage devicesconfigured to capture a research decision flow.
 2. The method recited inclaim 1 further comprising: identifying or modifying and capturing a setof risks of failing to fulfil the one or more requirements of the newproduct or technology in the dynamically linked information record;defining or modifying and capturing an additional set of tests forverifying that the set of risks are mitigated in the dynamically linkedinformation record; developing or modifying and capturing in thedynamically linked information record the task plan to perform at leastone of mitigating one or more risks of the set of risks and conductingone or more of the additional set of tests, and generating thedynamically linked information record in the computer system.
 3. Themethod as recited in claim 2 further comprising a method of computingrisk reduction performance for each objective by summing costs ofcompleted tasks for each its risk and by scaling and summing costs ofpartially completed tasks based on fraction work completed; and a methodto compute risk reduction performance of a project by aggregating riskreduction performance across all objectives of the project and computerisk reduction performance for an enterprise by aggregating riskreduction performance of all R&D projects in the enterprise.
 4. Themethod as recited in claim 1, wherein generating the dynamically linkedinformation record in the computer system comprises the steps of:dynamically linking and capturing the objective, the one or morerequirements, the set of tests and the task plan from research decisionflow, to generate a linked information record (LIR); updating the LIR ifneeded; linking other LIR's if needed; performing the methodasynchronously; identifying a set of risks of failing to satisfy the oneor more requirements; defining an additional set of tests to verify thatthe one or more of the set of risks have been mitigated; developing atask plan to perform at least one of mitigating one or more risks of theset of risks and conducting one or more tests of the additional set oftests; and dynamically linking and capturing the set of risks and thetask plan from research decision flow, to generate the LIR in thecomputer system.
 5. The method as recited in claim 4 further comprisingthe steps of: classifying data in the LIR into one or more categories,wherein the one or more categories are selected from the groupconsisting of a product category, a technology category, and a skill-setcategory; distributing an investment between the R&D of the new productor technology based on data related to each R&D of the new product ortechnology in the LIR: and collating data associated with a member of anenterprise associated with the LIR, wherein collated data is used for aperformance review of the member; providing the collated data to a setof members of the enterprise; and identifying a member with apredetermined skill based on the performance review of the member. 6.The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising collating dataassociated with the R&D of the new product or technology from a linkedinformation record, wherein collated data is used for conducting areview of the R&D of the new product or technology.
 7. The method asrecited in claim 1 further comprising implementing an access controlpolicy based on a role of a member in an enterprise to authorize themember to perform at least one step selected from the group consistingof inputting the objective, determining one or more requirements,identifying a set of risks, defining the set of tests, defining the taskplan, performing one or more tasks; and selectively accessing thedynamically linked information record based on the role of the member.8. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising generatingintellectual property data associated with the R&D of the new product ortechnology based on a set of task information regarding one or moretasks, wherein the intellectual property data is used for at least oneof: generating a set of intellectual property assets associated with theR&D of the new product or technology and classifying the set ofintellectual property assets based on a set of predefined criteria. 9.The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the dynamically linkedinformation record comprises a plurality of predefined data fields tostore data.
 10. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising amethod of computing objective performance for each objective by summingcosts of completed tasks for each its requirement and by scaling andsumming the costs of partially completed tasks based on fraction workcompleted.
 11. The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising of amethod to compute the objective performance of a project by aggregatingobjective performance across all objectives of the project and computethe objective performance for an enterprise by aggregating objectiveperformance of all R&D projects in the enterprise.
 12. The method asrecited in claim 1 further comprising a method of computing testperformance for each objective by summing costs of completed tasks foreach its test and by scaling and summing costs of partially completedtasks based on fraction work completed; and a method to compute testperformance of a project by aggregating test performance across allobjectives of the project and compute the risk reduction performance foran enterprise by aggregating risk reduction performance of all R&Dprojects in the enterprise.
 13. A system for managing Research andDevelopment (R&D) of a new product or technology in an enterprise, theenterprise comprising one or more divisions, the one or more divisionscomprising one or more members, the system comprising: a knowledgecapture module, operatively connected to a computer system, andconfigured to store data and further configured to: capture researchdecision flow in the R&D of the new product or technology by: receivingan objective of each R&D of the new product or technology, wherein theobjective is input by the one or more members; receive one or morerequirements for fulfilling the objective of each R&D of the new productor technology, wherein the one or more requirements are determined bythe one or more members; receive a set of tests defined to verify thatthe one or more requirements are satisfied or one or more of a set ofrisks are mitigated; receive a task plan, wherein the task plan isdeveloped to perform at least one of satisfying the one or morerequirements and conducting one or more tests or the set of tests,wherein the task plan is defined by the one or more members; and capturea set of task information associated with one or more tasks performed bythe one or more members, wherein the one or more tasks are related tothe R&D of the new product or technology; a linked information module,operatively connected to the knowledge capture module, configured todynamically link the objective, the one or more requirements, the set ofrisks, the task plan and the set of task information related to each R&Dof the new product or technology; and an access module, operativelyconnected to the knowledge capture module and the linked informationmodule, for providing access to the linked information module to the oneor more members, wherein the one or more members can alter informationin the linked information module by inputting or modifying any of thedata stored in the knowledge capture module.
 14. The system as recitedin claim 13 wherein the knowledge capture module is further configuredto: receive a set of risks identified to be of failing to satisfy theone or more requirements, wherein the set of risks is identified by theone or more members; receive an additional set of tests for verifyingthat the set of risks are mitigated in a dynamically linked informationrecord; and receive the task plan, wherein the task plan is developed tomitigate one or more risks of the set of risks.
 15. The system asrecited in claim 13 further comprising an investment management moduleconfigured to distribute an investment between the R&D of the newproduct or technology based on data related to each R&D of the newproduct or technology in a linked information database in the linkedinformation module; an activity management module, operatively connectedto the knowledge capture module, the linked information module, and theaccess module, configured to process data from the linked informationmodule related to an activity of each R&D of the new product ortechnology to generate an activity review data based on at least onepredefined parameter associated with the new product or technology;wherein the linked information database in the linked information moduleis modified based on the activity review data; and one or more linkingmodules configured to process data from a plurality of R&D tools used toperform the one or more tasks, wherein the processed data is stored inthe linked information database in the linked information module. 16.The system as recited in claim 13 further comprising a skill-setmanagement module, operatively connected to the knowledge capturemodule, the linked information module, and the access module, configuredto: collate data associated with a member of the one or more membersfrom the linked information module, wherein the collated data is usedfor a performance review of the member; and identify a member with apredetermined skill based on the performance review of the member. 17.The system as recited in claim 13, further comprising a communicationchannel configured to enable the one or more members to communicateregarding the one or more tasks related with each R&D of the new productor technology; and an intellectual property management module,operatively connected to the knowledge capture module, the linkedinformation module, and the access module, configured to generate anintellectual property data associated with each R&D of the new productor technology based on the set of task information associated with theone or more tasks, wherein the intellectual property data is used for atleast one of: generating a set of intellectual property assetsassociated with the R&D of the new product or technology; andclassifying the set of intellectual property assets based on a set ofpredefined criteria.
 18. The system as recited in claim 13, wherein thedata stored in the knowledge capture module further comprises feedbackdata generated from reviews of the linked information module linked tothe research decision flow in the R&D of the new product or technology.19. An article for capturing research decision flow in research anddevelopment (R&D) of a new product or technology, comprising: one ormore tangible, non-transitory computer-readable media; and means in theone or more media for receiving one or more objectives of R&D on aproduct or technology; means in the one or more media for receiving oneor more requirements, wherein the one or more requirements arelimitations that must be met to fulfil the one or more objectives; meansin the one or more media for receiving a set of tests verifying that theone or more requirements are satisfied; means in the one or more mediafor receiving a task plan, wherein the task plan further comprises tasksassociated with satisfying the one or more requirements and conductingone or more of the set of tests; means in the one or more media fordynamically linking the one or more objectives, the one or morerequirements, the set of tasks and the task plan to generate a linkedinformation database in a linked information module for the R&D; andmeans in the one or more media for providing access to the linkedinformation module for updating the one or more objectives, the one ormore requirements, the set of tests, or the tasks.
 20. The article ofclaim 19, further comprising: means in the one or more media forinputting a set of risks, wherein the set of risks are identified to beof failing to satisfy the one or more requirements; and wherein the setof tests further verifies that one or more of the set of risks aremitigated and the task plan is further associated with mitigating one ormore risks of the set of risks.